Persona 3: Attachment
by KingJeric
Summary: ABANDONED - When Junpei met Chidori, he never expected that things would be this way. - A fic seeing the interactions between the two characters in greater detail from Junpei's perspective - mostly follows canon.
1. Chapter 1

**Persona 3: Attachment**

**Chapter 1**

She swayed steadily over the crimson ground as the chains that held her axe shook in the wind. I felt the steel leave my hand as I tightly held my left arm. She slowly walked closer. I heard every step as I struggled to regain my strength. "Junpei," the girl spoke, "I told you to leave me alone."

The glint of the red axe caught my eye once more. "_Just how did I end up here?"  
><em>

It was an empty week of August for me. The sun demanded attention with its heat and no one could ignore it. Lately, me and the rest of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, or "SEES" had been doing a lot of training for the next big fight. Minato, our involuntary leader was bringing us to fight Shadows in Tartarus almost every second day lately. We were preparing for our next big fight since the next full moon was coming up in a little over two weeks. The last time we saw a full moon, we had to fight the major shadows of the Chariot and Justice Arcanas which combined to make a winged tank. It feels stupid to describe it now, but its cannon packed a hell of a punch.

I really had nothing to do. I found myself at Tatsumi Port Island Station when I realized that it was already the 20th and summer vacation was about to end. Unfortunately, I really couldn't think of much to do.

"Get out of my way," a strong feminine voice demanded out of my sight. "I can't see. Move."

I caught my senses and moved out from in front of her. She was holding a large book, so I assumed that she was trying to draw something behind me. "Uh, sorry..." I replied. I began to move along my way when I took a better look at the girl. She had bright red hair that made her stick out like a sore thumb. The girl was wearing a white gothic dress and had matching accessories in her hair. "_What's up with that? Maybe she's cosplaying or something?"_ Oddly, she sat on the side of a flower spot, rather than on the bench right next to her. She definitely didn't look normal. In fact, I was surprised that I hadn't noticed her first.

I guess I had been staring for a bit too long, since she turned to me and asked, "What do you want?" She really got to the point.

I was caught off-guard and had no words. "Uhh, nothing... My bad," I apologized. I must've seemed very creepy to her – wouldn't know, since I didn't notice exactly how long I was staring. I continued to walk on my own when I sensed her turning away. Somehow, she just drew my attention and I had to take another look. "_What the hell is she drawing?" _I asked myself once I noticed that whatever was on that paper sure as hell wasn't where I was standing. "_Man, I'll never understand art"_, I thought, before I began to walk home.

For the next few days, her image still lingered around in my mind. I considered checking out the station to see if I'd run into her, but decided not to. The return of classes averted my mind from her.

On the 29th I found myself wandering around with nothing to do once again. _"Man, this year's going fast. It's already second semester. Next year, I'll be a senior..."_

Just then I spotted a familiar shade of red from the corner of my eye. Once again on the same spot at the station, sat the girl with her attention glued to her sketchbook. She seemed to notice me, too, as her head turned to greet me. "You again."

"Uhh... well..." I had to come up with something. "I mean, I'm surprised you remember me.

"Same here," she replied. I was hoping that she was surprised that I recognized _her_, not that she recognized _me_.

"Well, you kinda stand out in that dress of yours," I replied. She continued to work on her sketch. "So... what are you drawing?"

"Nothing. Why?" she bluntly responded. It didn't seem like she was too big on talking.

"Uhh, no reason. I was just thinking, it must be nice to have something you're really into", I explained. I knew I didn't have too many hobbies myself.

She turned away from the picture and said, "It's no big deal. I only draw because I like to."

"That so? Still, I'd like to see it when you're done, okay?" I asked as I turned to walk along, knowing that she was busy and probably wasn't too into the conversation.

Just two days later I found her again at her spot in front of the station. I walked up and decided to greet her. "So, we meet again, huh?"

She turned away from her drawing. "That's because you keep coming back." Her tone sounded slightly different this time, almost a little bit playful.

I decided it was about time I introduced myself. "I'm Junpei. What's your name? You live around here?" She closed up her sketchbook and stood up. This was actually the first time I'd seen her stand. That's when I noticed the dark red mark on her sleeve. "Hey, hey, wait. Your hand..." She simply started to walk passed me, almost as if she didn't notice the cut. I wasn't gonna let her ignore me. "I said, wait! You're hurt!"

She turned to me. "What is it with you?" Her eyes seemed a bit annoyed, as did her voice. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

I didn't understand how she could be focused on that right now. "Don't give me _that!_ You're bleeding!" I ran up to her to get a better look. "C'mon, show me your hand. You need to put some pressure on it."

She looked at me, seemingly confused. "Why are you in such a panic?" she protested.

"Are you crazy? Anyone would freak out over this! You need to see a doctor – you want me to go with you?" As forward as I was, I was more concerned about her health than my impression.

The redhead glanced at the wound and scoffed. "You're weird," she icily stated. She began to walk away before stopping once more. "Chidori," her voice calmly said.

"Huh?" I replied in confusion, given the whole situation.

She explained, "That's my name. You asked, right, Junpei? I'm almost done with the picture. I doubt you'll understand it, but if you want to see it, you know where to find me." Her voice was almost friendly. She was then on her way, paying no mind to her wound.

Four days later, I ran into her at the station again. "Yo, Chidori," I called, still adjusting to the fact that her name made me think of electrical ninja powers. "How's your hand?" I asked. She wordlessly raised her right arm. There was not a sign of the cut from four days earlier. "I don't see anything, not even a scar... Did it really heal that quickly?"

"Hey Junpei – what do you do to make yourself feel alive?" She ignored my question and changed the subject.

"Hm, I dunno. Breathing, I guess. Y'know, I never really thought about that before. How 'bout you, Chidori? Is that why you're always drawing?"

"Maybe," she replied, "but most of these are just scribbles. You see, I don't understand myself very well."

"I see," I said, trying to find some insight. "Mind if I sit here?" She nodded, so I took the invitation and got comfortable next to her. "To tell you the truth, there is _one_ thing that makes me feel alive..." I thought I'd try to make her laugh. "...When I get to play hero."

Chidori turned to face me with a look of interest. I felt the need to raise my voice a little. "In the _darkest hour_, unknown to all but few, the _chosen ones_ stand against the _forces of evil!_ Our hero, Junpei, fights to protect the world from these terrifying monsters!" I thought that would have been enough. "Heheh, well, you get the idea. That's when I feel most alive!"  
>"...?" Chidori's face made it seem like she was either perplexed or disappointed.<p>

"Um... you're supposed to laugh," I explained, admitting the failure of my joke.

"So, do you fight all alone?" she asked, completely serious. That surprised me. That _really _surprised me.

"H-hey, I was just kiddin' around."

"You fight during a time that no one knows about, right?" Chidori asked, straight face and all. "...So then, no one knows what you've been doing, either. That means you'll never receive any recognition." Unfortunately, she was completely right about that. "I'm impressed. I didn't know you're that kind of guy."

The compliment was new. Very new. "For real? You... actually believe me?"

"Tell me more," she eagerly asked. I found this to be my time to shine.

"You really wanna know?" I asked. I stopped to think about any possible risks. _"Wait, there are no possible risks! There's no way Chidori has the potential." _I had my story ready. "Okay, but don't tell anyone, alright?" I doubted that this would hurt. "Ya see, there's this special power that we call 'Persona' and only those who have it can defeat the monsters. That's what I meant by 'the chosen ones'. My friends are fighting, too. And ever since I joined 'em, we've been kickin' some serious ass!"  
>Her small lips formed a smile, something I wasn't used to seeing. "Sounds like fun. Are you the leader? Because it sounds like you're pretty strong."<p>

I wasn't about to let her down here. "Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that. I mean, without me, things would just fall apart." I was lying through my teeth, but at this point, it didn't matter. "_Actually, if I really wasn't around, Minato would probably hate being a leader. He wouldn't have a real bro to hang out with! Akihiko's alright, but he's always got that pole up his ass." _I retrained my focus on Chidori. "Someone's gotta be in charge, after all. It's pretty tough being a leader."

Chidori looked up and saw that the sun began to set. She closed her sketchbook and stood to face me. "Thank you, Junpei. I had fun today."

"Y... you did?" I stammered. Chidori might've been strange, but that didn't mean she wasn't charming.

"It's time for me to go. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" She left and I felt the heat leave my face.

_"Tomorrow, huh? All right!"_ I was glad that I had been able to leave an impression. After all, _she_ was the one looking forward to seeing _me_ this time.

Telling her about the Dark Hour really helped make that connection. Little did I suspect, Chidori knew a lot more about it than I thought...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I was so caught up in the last encounter with Chidori that for the moment, I forgot that "tomorrow" was the day of the next full moon. Around noon I took a walk, obviously finding myself later at the train station. I guess I was a bit early since she wasn't around when I got there.

Actually, she wasn't there at all. I hung around for nearly an hour before I decided to just go home and hope that she somehow forgot about asking me to be there.

I approached the dorm entrance as it opened. Out came Minato, Yukari, and Koromaru together. "Yo, Minato, Yuka-tan!" Before either of them could say anything, I continued, "...A-heheh, hey, what're you two up to?"

Yukari, standing not a foot away from Minato, immediately turned red. "It... it's nothing, Stupei!" she immediately burst, cheeks red. "We're just walking the dog. Stop making accusations every time you see us together."

"Who said I was makin' accusations? Hah! You just told me what you were trying to hide!" I joked, glancing at Minato, who was cracking up.

"One day, Stupei. One day!" the embarrassed brunette annoyedly yelled.

"Classic," Minato commented, flicking away the overbearing fringe of his dark hair.

"Well, you two _are_ dating, right?" I asked as Yukari turned her head to the side.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he humbly confirmed, "but it's nothing major, really."

"Big day today, right?" I asked, "My Persona's just begging for some action!"

"Yeah, I'm hoping there'll only be one Shadow to fight tonight. That last pair was real tricky. Anyway Koromaru seems real eager, so we're gonna get going. See you tonight."

"Seeya later!" I said as they left together.

I poked my head into the dorm and the lounge was completely empty. I didn't want to be the only one home, so I locked up and decided to head back to the station. I turned around to find the redhead lolita walking up to me. What were the chances?

"Oh, hey!" I exclaimed while walking down the doorsteps.

"Hello," her voice gently greeted. I noticed she was holding what appeared to be a large instrument case.

"What brings you here?" I asked, curious.

"Well... I followed you," she quietly admitted.

"W-what? Seriously?" I asked, scratching the back of my head in a sort of flattered embarrassment.

"Yes. I waited for you at the station, but stayed out of sight. I was just curious as to where you lived, really."

I was still confused. "Do you..." I started as I searched my head for the second half of the sentence, "...wanna come in?"

She nodded and I felt my face turn red. We walked in and she observed her surroundings. She kept a tight grip on whatever she was holding. "So this is the home of the so-called 'chosen one', huh?"

"It's nothing too special," I admitted, "but Junpei Iori's gotta appreciate what he's got."

"I find it... comforting," she softly spoke as I felt her move a bit closer to me. "Can we go to the roof? The sun will be setting soon."

"Oh, sure."

I took Chidori's hand and walked up the stairs with her. We reached the dimly lit rooftop exit after some ten billion steps and I found that it was unlocked. The sun pierced my eyes as I pushed open the metal door.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Chidori asked as she looked toward the setting light.

"Yeah, it's the little things, I guess."

"Junpei, I have a surprise for you," she said as she put the large container on the ground. "Here, close your eyes."

I did as she instructed. Without vision, her elegant voice was even more comforting. I heard the jingle of some sort of metal object. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head and I hit the hard floor.

I slowly regained my senses as my eyes slowly started to focus. I caught a noticeable red and white figure in front of the dark green sky. "Chidori?"

"Ah, you're awake."

I tried to stand, but I looked down to see that my arms were chained around my body. "What... what is this?" I asked as I rested down on my knees. "Chidori, answer me!"

"My apologies, Junpei, but it seems you're not in any position to be asking questions," she replied, voice cold as ever.

It was the Dark Hour. Yet, Chidori didn't transmogrify into a coffin. "You... You have the potential?"

"Yes. And it appears you were not lying about your activities earlier. Good."

"Chidori, what're you trying to do? Get me outta these chains, this isn't friggin' funny!" I struggled against the chains to no avail as the twisted tower of Tartarus caught my eye in the distance.

"Okay, Junpei. I will release you from your bonds if you contact your friends and cancel the mission," she demanded.

"What? No. No, I won't do that. I _can't_ do that!" I yelled, "Why would you want that?"

"Your friends intend on stopping the existence of the Dark Hour by defeating the major Arcana Shadows, correct?" she asked.

"...Yeah, what about it?"

"I can't have that. Now, please, cancel the operation."

"Chidori, stopping the Dark Hour is for the best. But, what the hell! How could you do this?"

She looked perplexed as she paced around the rooftop. "Do what?"

"What? _This!_ I thought we were friends. I thought... damn it...!" My head was too cluttered for me to go on.

Chidori knelt down to her box and pulled out a short red axe, connected to chains. My heart raced and my eyes widened as she brought it to my neck. "Call off the mission!" she commanded.

"Tch, this just figures. Finally met a decent girl and now she's got me at axe-point."

She lowered her weapon and took a step back. "It seems they've completed their mission. The Hermit Shadow has been eliminated."

"You can tell?" I asked, wondering if there was some sort of sign that was visible from the rooftop.

"Through Medea's eyes,"

"Medea?"

"My friend," she abruptly claimed.

_"Her friend..? Is she referring to a Persona?" _I thought, "So, you _do_ have a Persona."

"That's not important. Why didn't you call off the mission? Is it worth your life?" she asked, "Dying is what people fear most, isn't it?"

"Well I've never actually given anyone orders before," I truthfully answered. "They wouldn't listen to me, anyway. Ya see, I'm not really the one in charge." The image of Minato being fooled like this wouldn't formulate in my head. Probably because he wouldn't screw up like I did. That's why he's the leader and I'm not.

Her face looked slightly disappointed. "So you were lying earlier? Why? I don't understand."

I didn't care about that right now. "Answer me this: Was it all just an act? Us meeting, your wound, the picture - were you just setting me up for this?" My head found its place hanging low. "Now that I think about it, that cut healed pretty quickly. Hah... I see how it is"  
>Chidori took a step forward before the door behind her burst open. Mitsuru, Minato, Yukari and Fuuka rushed onto the rooftop. "Junpei!" Yukari called.<p>

"They're here, already?" Chidori exclaimed as Mitsuru drew her rapier.

Chidori raised her right arm, and everyone's eyes were glued to the steel that she held against her head. "**MEDEA.**"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Mystical blue glass shattered on the opposite side of Chidori's head as a thunderous shot echoed from the gun-shaped Evoker in her offhand. Her fingers clenched the chains of the axe to her right: a visual representation of the pain she felt by summoning her Persona. A tall, feminine figure spawned just above the redhead. Its red and black body emitted energy. It wore a strange skull-like mask over long blonde hair. With a torch in one hand and a dagger in the other, Medea put forth her power in the form of flames that surrounded the entire rooftop.

The other members of SEES arrived and took a moment to comprehend the fire around them before Mitsuru pointed her rapier toward Chidori. "We should stall her until the Dark Hour has faded, then we can disarm her knowing that her Persona won't be a problem" she explained.

"Wait, Mitsuru", Akihiko interrupted, "her Persona uses fire. You know this is a bad idea."

Mitsuru didn't take her eyes off of Chidori. "Despite my weakness to fire, I trust my ability to safely stop the enemy. I will do my best to make sure that Evoker never reaches her head again," she explained before carefully stepping toward her opponent. "Who are you?" she asked with her eyes locked strongly with Chidori's.

Chidori gave no answer. She tossed her axe high and swung downward. Mitsuru hopped to the side, keeping her blade pointed at the axe-wielding lolita. She gracefully lunged forward, tilting her head to the back. Chidori saw this coming and twirled to Mitsuru's left before catching the rapier's hilt with the chains of her axe and elbowing the fencer in the head. Mitsuru quickly recovered and unlocked the bond on her blade while pushing Chidori back with her spare hand.

"Chidori, stop this!" I called. The girl didn't answer, and she appeared to be completely focused on the battle.

Chidori drew back and Mitsuru cautiously walked forward, waiting for an attack. Chidori's left hand found the hilt of her Evoker once again, and she brought it to her head. "Now!" Chidori commanded as she pulled the trigger. Medea's demonic figure reappeared above her.

"Mitsuru, get back!" Minato yelled in worry as he ran across the rooftop to catch up to her. Mitsuru stepped back as she realized that it was too late.

"Agidyne!" Chidori commanded. Medea raised its torch, and in a split second, Mitsuru was knocked back and covered in flames.

"Dammit!" Minato angrily exclaimed, "Yukari, heal her!"

Aigis and Akihiko ran to pick up Mitsuru. They brought her into the dorm while Yukari drew her Evoker. In front of Chidori stood the blue-haired boy, now holding out a longsword. Minato attempted to break the chains on her weapon, but she quickly parried, striking his sword to the side.

The flames around us died down and the atmosphere faded into its regular state. "The Dark Hour's over! Disarm her, now!" Fuuka excitedly commanded.

Almost instantly, Chidori grabbed me and stood me up, holding her axe to my throat. "Allow me to escape, or your friend dies."

Everyone backed off, not knowing what to do. Chidori held the blade to my throat all the way to the door. Luckily, she had only chained my arms down. I slid beneath the axe and tackled her against the wall before hitting the ground near her. "Get her, now!" I demanded. Minato picked up her axe and Evoker while Aigis stood Chidori up and bonded her wrists.

"Medea!" Chidori screamed with her eyes focused on the Evoker in Minato's hand. "Give her back! Give back my Medea!" I didn't understand what was wrong with her, why she was so obsessed with her Persona.

Mitsuru came from inside the dorm, fully healed. "Don't hurt Chidori – promise you won't hurt her" I worriedly begged.

"We won't", replied Mitsuru before she turned away from me, "So 'Chidori' is your name? I have a lot to ask you."

Chidori paid no mind to Mitsuru, and her head hung low. Her voice was quiet, but I could still hear her: "I'm not... afraid... of dying."

We gathered in the lounge while Mitsuru contacted someone to take her into a Kirijo-run hospital. Everyone's eyes were on me.

Akihiko stood up and asked, "Junpei, care to explain all this?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Mitsuru, Aigis and Chidori left with a pair of men who arrived in an ambulance. I was faced with the curious and concerned expressions of my friends. _"I have no friggin' idea how I'm supposed to explain this whole mess..."_

Fuuka raised her index finger. "Actually," her quiet voice broke the silence. "it's been quite a long night. We've all been through a lot. Maybe we should go over this tomorrow, when we're all here."

Everyone was tired from the battle with the Hermit shadow as well as Chidori. I myself was still recovering from the numbness of my arms. "Alright, tomorrow's Sunday anyway. We'll talk about it over lunch, but I want to go see if she's okay," I explained, running the palm of my right hand over my aching forehead.

My friends shared various exhausted good-nights and retreated to their rooms. I fell sideways onto my bed, seeing the green digits in front of me: 1:14 AM. I stuck my left arm out to adjust the alarm. The numbers changed as I flicked the switch. Six, seven, eight... eleven AM would be fine.

The next afternoon, the lobby welcomed me with the aroma of stir fry, noodles, and chicken. Someone had actually been cooking. The dining table was just about full. "Hey", called Shinjiro across the room. He pointed to a bowl of noodles at an empty spot. "That's you." He was wearing an apron, which was weird for me. No one said anything about him cooking.

My stomach gave no objections when I landed in the chair and dug in. I stopped for a second and looked up at the chef, "This is real impressive, senpai!" He just nodded and moved to his place. Looking around, I saw that the others were well into their bowls.

"Yeah, guess me and Mitsuru kinda forgot to tell you guys about Shinjiro's cooking skills," Akihiko explained, "Don't expect this to be a regular thing, though. Appreciate it while you can."

I nodded and returned to scarfing down the delicious meal. Ken was attempting to eat without a look of urgency, Yukari sat back, apparently full. Koromaru sat patiently next to Akihiko, seemingly waiting for something to fall from the table. Just now, I noticed that Akihiko, Yukari and Mitsuru were all dressed for outside.

After some time, several bowls were empty and many of us, even Shinjiro, sat back with bloated stomachs. Fuuka cleared the table and Mitsuru sat forward, eyes on me. "So, will you explain what happened last night, Junpei?" she asked, eyes wide.

I took a moment to put it all together and sat up straight. This would be a long explanation. "Well, okay, a few weeks ago in August, I met Chidori at Port Island Station. I really had no idea that she had the potential. Every few days we'd run into each other and just talk."

Mitsuru nodded, and brought out a notepad that she occasionally scribbled into. "Way to put him on the spot, senpai," Minato joked, adjusting the headphones that hung from his neck.

She looked up at me and Minato. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Iori. This is just necessary in case some of the facts can lead to any new information, or if anything Chidori tells us contradicts what you tell us," she explained.

"No biggie, senpai," I cleared my throat and continued, "Anyway, she had always been drawing in that sketchbook of hers. One day, though, I found that her hand was bleeding – badly. She didn't seem bothered by it and the next time I saw her, there was no sign of the wound. I guess the healing was connected to her Persona or something. Later on she asks me about what I do to feel alive, so I... well, I kinda..."

Shinjiro's palm met his forehead. "This'll be good," he groaned.

Ignoring him, I went on with explaining my mistake. "Well, I sort of made a really big joke that maybe would have hinted at my involvement with the Dark Hour..."

Yukari sighed and uttered a single word, "Stupei..."

"What exactly did you say?" Mitsuru asked.

" I told her that I led the team of 'chosen heroes' to battle against the 'forces of evil' during 'the darkest hour'. But she acted all interested, like she believed me. I figured, no harm done if I tell _one person_ who couldn't _possibly_ have the potential, so I explained to her the Personas, Shadows and the Dark Hour. Looking back at it, that was a pretty stupid idea."

Ken gave an intrigued look. "How'd she end up at the dorm?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that. Sometime yesterday, I turn up at the dorm just before sunset. I saw Minato and Yukari leave with Koromaru and no one else was home yet. I turn around and, whaddya-know, Chidori's right there. She tells me that she followed me 'cause she was curious about where I lived. Then she mentions that she wants to see the sunset with me, so I take her up to the roof. Then she says that she has a gift for me and wants me to close my eyes 'cause it's a surprise. Next thing ya know, I wake up in chains and it's the Dark Hour."

"Was that when we busted in?" Minato quickly asked.

"Not yet, actually..." I replied, "She asked me to call off the mission since I said I was the leader of the group. But here's the real kicker: somehow, she knew exactly when you guys'd killed the Hermit. Anyway, after that you guys came in and... well, y'know the rest."

"Her Persona seems to have some very interesting abilities," stated Fuuka. She tilted her head in thought as her green hair bobbed. "I couldn't even sense her until we were at the dorm. She must be the one who was masking Strega's presence earlier."

"You have a thing for this girl, huh?" Akihiko asked casually, leaning forward on his elbows.

I stuttered, "M-maybe... Why do you say that?"

"Well, you wouldn't have done all that if you didn't. Maybe you can help us get some answers from her in the hospital later," he answered. That last sentence piqued my interest.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm up for that," I excitedly replied.

Yukari folded her arms and didn't look very impressed. "Girl seems pretty useful," she muttered, "Maybe if Junpei was a bit more charming she'd be working with us instead of against us."

"H-hey, I heard that!" I protested.

Ken raised his voice, "What if she really killed you? Then what?"

Minato spread a neutralizing look. "What's important is that we got her," he said.

"Regardless", Mitsuru piped up, "What were you thinking, Junpei? You know the risks of telling our secrets. You can't just go around trying to impress people with the truth of the Dark Hour."

"There's like a one in one hundred chance of having the potential," I defended my point, "And how was I supposed to know she was working with Strega?"

"Well, for one thing, there's that getup..." Yukari remarked.

"Hey, you can take some tips from her yourself, Yuka-tan!" I shot back.

"Oh yeah, 'cause you know how gothic lolitas are in style nowadays, Stupei."

"Well while you go follow whatever's popular, people like her can be original. I ain't even-"

"You two done yet?" shouted Shinjiro, who was sick of our shenanigans. "Shit, this a dormitory or a daycare?"

"Well, I think it's about time we visit our new friend at the hospital," Mitsuru stated clearly.

"You coming, Junpei?" Akihiko asked, heading for the door.

"You're damn right I am!" I replied as I started up the stairs.

Akihiko sized me up. "Well, you look like you're gonna be awhile. Mitsuru, Yukari and I will go there now. Just ask the receptionist about Chidori and they'll point you in the right direction."

In about half an hour I was ready to leave. Most of the others were about to head out, as well. I caught Minato at the front door. "You wanna come along?" I asked, adjusting my cap.

"Nah, got stuff to do," he answered.

"That so? Where ya going?"

"Gonna see this guy, Akinari. He's got this terminal illness, so I'm trying to help him see the good thing about life before, well, y'know... Anyway I only see him at the shrine on Sundays, so I can't skip out on him," Minato explained.

We stepped outside. "Sounds rough", I replied, "You're heading to the shrine? Alright, well we split ways here. I'll see ya later."

"Alright, then. Oh, and we're probably gonna go to Tartarus tomorrow night. Don't forget!"

Hospitals were never a welcoming place for me. The way the fluorescent lights bounced off the pearly walls and floor tiles stung my eye, and the scent of a million chemicals in one place created an uncomfortable atmosphere. The fact that the safest place in the city is also a place of death was no help.

The front desk directed me to Chidori's room. Yukari was standing in front of the door, and she looked surprised when she spotted me running... in a hospital... why was I running? Well, okay, it may have been uncalled for.

"Wait, Junpei, you can't go in y-" she protested. I didn't hear the rest of it over the sound of me going through the newly opened door.

Chidori was sitting upright in the bed with her sketchbook opened in front of her. Mitsuru and Akihiko stood at the opposite side of the room.

"I'm going to ask you again – are you a part of the group called Strega?" There was a hint of frustration in Mitsuru's voice. The artist gave no response as her pencil was busy on the paper.

"Chidori, I'm here." I alerted the room. Her eyes met mine, and Mitsuru turned to me.

"She's not exactly co-operating," Mitsuru sighed, "Maybe we should confiscate her sketchbook, too. She didn't seem to like it when we took her Evoker."

Chidori's attention was immediately shot at Mitsuru. "Medea... Bring back my Medea!" she desperately begged.

Akihiko took a step forward, but I stopped him. "Hold on, senpai. That won't do any good. Let me try to talk to her."

Mitsuru uttered an agreement and the two left the room. I took a seat next to Chidori's bed and leaned over her. "How ya been?" I quietly asked, observing her condition.

"Please," her voice was shaky, "Make them bring back Medea..."

"I can't do that," I answered, trying to keep my voice soft, "I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai will return her if you answer her questions."

"I won't," Chidori quickly responded, her hands clutching the book in her hands. "She is not here to help me."

"Why do you think that? I mean, it's simple. You answer her questions and you'll be out of this place. Then you and I can hang out like before."

It didn't seem like she was in a mood to talk. "If only I could believe you."

I sat with her for a while, but we didn't really talk about anything. "I have to get going. I'll visit you tomorrow." She nodded. "But, uh, think about what I said, alright? I don't want you to be stuck here for too long."

When I left, I made sure to tell Mitsuru to try and make Chidori comfortable. Her condescending attitude was not helping her get her answers any faster. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari and I left together.

I crossed paths with Minato on the way to my room. "How'd it go?" he asked, removing his headphones from his ears.

"Not so great. Mitsuru can't get a word out of her and she's really attached to her Evoker."

He nodded, "I see. Well, at least she's got something to take out her anger on."

"After being tied up and emasculated, I wouldn't mind some Shadow time myself."


	5. Chapter 5

[**A/N: **I don't remember what level the player would be at this point, so Minato may have over/underpowered Personas at that point. I don't remember which block of Tartarus they'd be capped at or which monsters are in which block. I also don't remember if any characters had resolved yet and evolved their Personas, so I'll be using the names of their starter Personas. Also, there might be usage of skills that the Personas do not have. Just bear with me here! Thanks.]

**Chapter 5**

We stood together in front of the colourless, modernized building the world knows as Gekkoukan High. However, we knew it as something else. That something else would be appearing before our eyes in just a few moments.

"We got about five minutes," sighed an impatient Akihiko who had been focusing on the numbers displayed on his phone for some time now. A pair of bladed gauntlets lay by his feet.

"Know who you're bringing up, Minato?" asked Yukari.

Minato turned around and took all the people around him. All capable fighters itching to break down some Shadows. "Going up with Junpei, Ken-kun, and Akihiko," the leader announced.

"Yes!" Ken piped up, happily raising his spear. He quickly cleared his throat and said, "I mean, um, yeah – that's great."

"That was fast," Mitsuru said, grabbing the attention of our field leader. "Ken _and_ Akihiko? Sounds a little unbalanced. You don't want someone who can use Ice or Wind spells?"

"Don't worry, senpai," Minato replied, "I got those covered. Besides, having Junpei and Akihiko will give us a huge close-combat advantage. Also, I need Ken for his Light spells. And, uh, if Akihiko's struck down by an Ice attack, the Shadow will most likely be weak to Fire, which Junpei uses." I had to give it to him. Minato was a very skilled bullshitter. Given the situation, it was crystal clear that we were gonna have some men-only conversation in Tartarus.

"Something tells me you guys are gonna be up there the whole time," Yukari accused. "Fuuka, would you be able to handle keeping watch for two groups at once?"

Fuuka put a finger to her head and pondered. "Well, we've never tried it before. I suppose it could work."

"Great!" Yukari exclaimed. "Aigis, Mitsuru-senpai, Koro-chan and I will go up to a lower floor than the guys. You all okay with that?"

"Sounds like a plan," replied Mitsuru.

"Affirmative," the robo-lady stated while Koromaru barked his approval.

"Wait a minute here... That just leaves me. What the hell?" Shinjiro groaned.

Me and some of the other guys laughed. "Well, we can't leave Fuuka down there alone!" I said.

"Tch!" Shinjiro irritably grunted, giving his large axe a nudge.

Ken calmly voiced, "I get tired pretty quickly. You and I can switch places when I'm done."

"Well, alright," was Shinjiro's reply.

Minutes later, the world turned green and everyone's attention was on the building in front of us. Gekkoukan High grew and twisted and contorted into the ominous tower that was Tartarus. Even after countless Dark Hours, this process was difficult to comprehend.

"Let's go!" Akihiko eagerly announced. We walked in unison along the cement which was now covered in blood.

Our team of four entered the teleporter and Minato brought us up at least one hundred floors. We found ourselves in the Tziah block. This section of Tartarus had a royal, golden interior that was a nice change from the other more depressing blocks of the tower.

Fuuka's voice spoke through my mind. "Now, since there's two groups up there at once, I want everyone to be extra careful, okay? I also can't scan two Shadows at once, so one team might have to wait longer for me to find the information they need. Luckily, Mitsuru's team is down in the Yabbashah block and I already have information on most of the Shadows there."

"Big one up ahead!" called Akihiko, about ten feet in front of the group. He pointed the blades on his right hand to a bipedal mecha-Shadow that had a fully rotating torso boasting huge metal arms. In our Pokedex-like encyclopedia of Shadows, we called these things 'Drives'.

Minato drew his shortsword and assumed a battle stance. "Those ones are real tough up close. We'll need to focus on using magic, here. Fuuka, get the details of that Shadow for us," he ordered.

"Gimme a sec, I'll scan the target," she replied through our heads.

The metal beast took notice of us from a distance, and it began slowly stomping its way toward Akihiko. He quickly regrouped with us with his eyes never taken off of the Shadow.

"What's the plan?" Ken asked, readying the spear that appeared to be twice his height.

"We have about twenty seconds, so make it quick!" I added.

"We fend it off with magic until Fuuka's intel comes in. It can move in fast, so keep your distance. These things are always superior in melee combat."

The four of us moved as a unit and we easily surrounded the Shadow. Its attention was immediately drawn to Akihiko. It charged toward him, spinning its arms in full circles. Akihiko ducked under the arms but was pinned to the wall by its heavy lower body. Akihiko pushed against one of its legs with one hand and hooked the Shadow's core with the other. The Drive didn't even flinch.

"Thing's got a resistance to my strikes!" he informed us while holding back the monster.

"We should keep that in mind. Now let's get you outta there! Junpei, hit it!" Minato ordered.

I whipped out my Evoker and held it to my temple. "**Hermes!**" I shouted as the trigger was pulled and the sharp pain of summoning a Persona struck my nerves. "**Agilao!**"

The stoic apparition flew over the Drive and set it ablaze. The rotating menace of a Shadow was pushed away from Akihiko, but shrugged off the flames in seconds. The boxer rose from his uncomfortable stance and immediately filled his vacant position.

"I got it!" Fuuka's voice suddenly entered, "This Drive is weak to light!"

"Ken, it's all yours!" said a grinning Minato, backing away from the flailing machine.

"Alright..." breathed the lance-wielding brunette. He stepped forward and set his Evoker under his chin. "**Persona!**"

The sound of shattering glass struck our ears when Nemesis appeared. Its electrified wheel sped up as a circle of light surrounded the Drive. We were blinded for a moment and the Drive had vanished.

"Great work, Ken-kun!" an excited Fuuka praised.

"Alright, let's keep going," Akihiko said as he pushed some dirt off his shoulder.

We quickly figured out the weaknesses of the majority of the Shadows in the area. We were two floors up when Minato asked, "Junpei, what are you planning on doing about... you know?"

I thought about it for a second, but I couldn't come up with a proper solution. "Don't know. Doubt Mitsuru-senpai's gonna be letting her go anytime soon. But I gotta try and help."

"You think she has any info on Strega?" Ken calmly inquired.

"Not sure. There's no doubt she's been working with them, but I don't know if she's really a part of their plan."

Akihiko piped up, "My thoughts exactly. Either she's really set on holding out on us or she really doesn't have anything useful to share. Given her instability, nothing would surprise me."

"Way I see it, her involvement with Strega doesn't matter to you, Junpei," Minato raised a finger. "Let's say Mitsuru lets her go. Then what? What would she do? Where could she go?"

"Now you're talkin', Minato," I replied, "I don't know what'd happen for sure. What I _do_ know is that I'll be there for her."

"Wow," scoffed an impressed Akihiko, "Never thought I'd hear Junpei talk like that before."

Some time later, Ken had run out of steam and Shinjiro took his place as planned. Though Minato had to fill Ken's role, Shinjiro's simple brutal power made it easier to proceed.

"So, what do you see yourself doing with her?" Minato asked without the slightest suggestive hint in his tone.

"Don't know," I quickly said while fiddling with my Evoker, cap, and jacket.

"Lookin' a little nonchalant there, Junpei," Akihiko voiced.

"Well, I'm all she has."

"True. But man, I've never seen you all caught up because of a girl before." Minato commented.

"Chidori's... I dunno. She's different. Not just her looks, but everything about her is different. She doesn't care about little annoyances like broken nails, or the things that other people say about her. She's not indecisive, either. It's like she actually knows what she wants to do and exactly how she intends to do it. You don't find that in girls very often."

"Opposites attract, I guess!" Akihiko joked.  
>"H-hey! I always know what I'm doing." I claimed in my defense.<p>

[**A/N Again: **This story is now **ABANDONED**. Why, you ask? Well, I simply lost interest in it. Judging from the number of reviews, it seems I wouldn't be disappointing anybody. I started writing this 'cuz two of my friends urged me to write a fanfic after I wrote little excerpts that sounded like they belonged in a lemon in order to mess with one of my friends' perception of her favourite Final Fantasy heroines. Sadly I am not so into this story anymore – possibly 'cuz it's too close to canon. Luckily I have an idea for a different Persona 3 fanfic that I might create. I'm still planning everything out, though. Don't want to head into it without knowing how it would end.]


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